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3 ways to reduce paper waste in your office

Saving the planet

At Collabow we think green and want to help save the environment, whilst simultaneously saving you money by using less paper. Collabow is a smart digital workspace that enables cloud file storage, transfers, information sharing and collaboration. Our main goal is to make sharing information fast, efficient and environmentally friendly.

Paper waste is a big issue in business, and if you can reduce paper waste in the workplace, you can have a positive impact on the environment. In fact, paper makes up the largest part of the un-recycled waste that offices generate. According to research conducted by Kyocera, the average office worker in the UK uses up to 45 pieces of paper daily, and a staggering two-thirds of that is considered waste. 

In the UK, we use over 9.9 million tonnes of paper each year, and it takes 24 trees to make just one tonne of paper. Clearly, we need to make some changes and learn how to reduce paper usage, or better yet – know how to go paperless. What’s more, sustainability is important to employees, and 61% of people believe sustainability is mandatory for businesses to consider. Employees are interested in taking new steps to consider reducing the use of packaging, plastic and paper in business.

As a digital solution, Collabow is highly supportive of ways to save paper and initiatives that aim to create awareness and promote responsible disposal. So, we thought we’d share a few innovative ways how to reduce paper waste in the workplace, which you can adopt in yours.

 

1. Use cloud storage for your files

Many businesses are adopting online file storage programs to reduce their paper waste.

Collabow is a cloud-based flies sharing company that has saving the environment at the heart of its mission statement. Through Collabows features, you are able to edit online using familiar formatting functions, share documents or folders with your team or a single person and…. . Plus, free storage space is also pretty good, too, as you can store multiple images and other content.

2. Think before you print

If you are wondering how to reduce paper waste in the office, just printing less is an obvious choice. Using a printer to print out meeting agendas or presentations has become a habit for some of us. How often are those handouts referred to again if we really think about it? You’ll find that most are left in the room or thrown away. In your next meeting, try adding the agenda to your Outlook invitation or emailing attendees your presentation in advance. Having a soft copy allows them to add notes or comments and gives them something they can refer to later. All documents can be stored and shared in the cloud. 

Being a software company, Collabow embraces technology to help us go paperless and we take advantage of all paperless options.

3. Take paperless notes

 

If you’re a note-taker, some great online alternatives are available that enable you to work without pen and paper, and it’s a simple way to reduce paper wastage.

We like the simplicity of the functions of Evernote, the ability to use it across multiple devices, and how widely used it is. Apple users can aslo take minutes using Apple notes.

To see first-hand how Collabow enables companies to go paperless by digitising file sharing start a free 7-day trial.

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